Kirk St Ann or Kirk Santon, Isle of Man

Historical Description

Kirk St Ann or Kirk Santon, a parish in the S of the Isle of Man, 3f miles SE of Castletown. It has a post office of the name of St Ann (S.O.) Acreage, 4250; population, 510. Two eminences near the coast have altitudes of 306 and 392 feet, and Mount Murray, in the extreme N, of 714 feet. A stone circle is on one of the coast eminences, at a height of 300 feet above sea-level, and commands a fine view of the southern section of the island. Another stone circle is 1½ mile farther NE. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Sodor and Man; gross value,, £150 with residence. Patron, the Crown. A great stone in the churchyard covers the graves of six clergymen of the name of Cosnahan, four of whom were successive vicars of the parish; and a fine granite tombstone covers the grave of a student of King William's College, who was killed by a fall over a neighbouring sea-cliff. The church is dedicated to St Sanctain or Sanctan, and the parish used to be called Santan, of which it seems St Ann and Santon are corruptions.

Transcribed from The Comprehensive Gazetteer of England & Wales, 1894-5